Convertible box-car



A. CAMPBELL.

CONVERTIBLE BOX CAR.

APPLICTION FILED DEC. 2, 1920.

193865,765@ Patented Allg; 9, 1921.

, A4 Fig! 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENToR.

ATTORNEY.

A. CAMPBELL,

CONVERTIBLE BOX CAR.

APPLICATION FILED DE02., 1.920.

Patented Aug. 9, 192i.

I ATTORNEY.

NHT SITE FTENT ARGYLE CAMPBELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ENTERPRISE RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CONVERTIBLE BOX-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

Application led December 2, 1920. Serial No. 427,744.

To @ZZ/whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ARGYLE CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, havev invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Convertible Box- Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to improvements in 'convertible box cars.

In the operation of railroads, there is a constantly increasing demand for more continuous use of all rolling stock and particularly in connection with box cars. At certain seasons of the year, especially in the case of the so-called grain-carrying roads, there is a heavy demand for box cars for the transportation of grains and in the intervening periods, the demand for said cars on those roads is appreciably less and large numbers of the box cars are frequently employed in other sections of the country in the carrying of packaged loads or other loads which are not of a fluid nature. It is highly desirable that all box cars be interchangeably adapted for the carrying of either packaged loads or loads of a fluid character` such as grain in order to maintain such box cars constantly in productive operation. An essential characteristic of of such a convertible car is that, when it is not being employed for the carrying of grain, no capacity shall be lost or yinterference permitted with the loading or unloading of the packages, boxes or the like. Another essential characteristic of a successful convertible box car of the type indicated is that the means employed to convert the car shall not be of excessive weight or excessive in costl of manufacture or application. 'y

The object of my invention is to provide a convertible box car having a'simple, eficient and economical arrangement'whereby the car is adapted for. use either as an ordinary box car'to carry so-called 'packaged loads without loss of carrying capacity or as a car to carry bulk loads such as grain, coal, or like commodities wherein sufficient of the load may be easily discharged to relieve the pressure behind the necessary inside door to permit opening-ofv the latter.

Other objects ofthe invention will more both sides of the center sill construction. Fig.

2 is a vertical, sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,-parts being broken away in order to accommodate the showing of certain parts of the construction. Fig. 3 is a detail, horizontal, sectional v1ew corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. l is a view similarto Fig. 1 illustrating another embodiment of the invention. And Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 2 corresponding to the section line 5 -5 of F ig.l 4. Parts are broken away in Fig. 5k to better accommodate the view on the sheet.

Referring first to the construction illus-` car is defined by the threshold 13 and side posts 1%14, the lintel not being shown as the same is unnecessary for the understanding of the invention. The greaterportion of the floor of the car is permanent or fixed as indicated at 15, portions of said permanent floor being omitted opposite the side door'openings for a width slightly greater than the width of the door opening and for a depth extending from the threshold 13 tothe point 115 preferably about half Way to the center sill 11.

The omitted portion of the permanent floor above referred to is replaced by a floor door 16 pivoted along its outer edge adjacent the threshold 13 as indicated at 17, it being understood that said floor door 16, when in horizontal position, will complete the flooring of the car and will lie flush with the iixed portion of` the flooring. rIhe floor door 16 is adapted to be supported along its edges on top ofthe needle lbeams 12 as Aso indicated in Fig. 2 and at its inner edge is adapted to be supported on an intermediate sill section 1S extending between the needle beams 12. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the floor ldoor 16 is adapted to assume a vertical position as indicated by `the dotted lines 16a in Fig. 1 vin which position it extends across the door .opening and is adapted to partially close the latter to a height corresponding to the width of the `door from its hinged point to the free edge thereof. Said floor 'door 16 is adapted to be retained in its upright or vertical position by any suitable means such as the latches 19-19. c

Due to the variations inthe weights of differentgrains, grain cars are lilled to. different levels dependent upon the particular grain forming the load. Then the car is employed for carrying certain other bulk commodities, as for instance, coke, thecar may be filledto a still higher level withoutunduly weighting the car; ln box cars of the usual standards, a floor door extending fromthe threshold to the point 115, as illustrated in the' drawing, is not of suilicient length when in a vertical position across the side door opening to retain the usual grain loads and it is therefore necessary to extend the height of thedoor when positioned across the side door opening of the` car.A To accomplish 'this result,l employ door'extension boards as indicated at 20--20. Said extension boards 20-20 are storedlwithin a discharge hopper 21 extending? between and secured vto the within the hopper' 21, are supported4 on suitable Vcleats 22-22 at-each endl of the hopper, said cleats being notched-as indicated at '23e-23 to {it the lower edges "of the boards.V Additional cleats 9111+241 aresecured to the needlebeams, saidcleats24c having guide slots 25 therein to accommodate the boards as clearly indicatedin F 1.

may be held invplace on top` of the edgeo'll the floor door in suitable guides formed' by vertically extending Zbars32``32 secured to the inner sides of the door posts asindic'ated in Figs. 2 and 3, it being understood that the in the guides just described. y In the particular instance shown in Figs.

door extensionnboards are inserted vertically needle beams 12--12v Theboards 20, when 1 to 3, the discharge hopper 21, which is located closely adjacent thethreshold 13, is relatively narrow in order to minimizethe amount and weight of the material'required to form the same. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the door extension boards 2O are made of a length slightly less than the distance between the two needle beams 12 but ofl ay somewhat greater length than the distance between the door posts.

From the preceding description, it will be seen that my improved car is adapted for-use as an ordinary box carwhen the boardsl 2O are storedy within the hopper 21 and the floor door 16 is in horizontal position. kIn'this conditionlof .the car, it `iszevident that no load-carrying space-of the car vis'lost andY none of the parts employed inr converting the car trom.` one type to another is subjectto possible injury froin'the load carried by the car. Then my improved caris converted to use as a grain-carrying car, l' amenabled to obtain the necessary height for the inner grain doorandy at the same-,time provide a discharge hopper bywhich a portion-of the grain or other bulk load may readily be-disl charged from behind the grainy door-in order to permit the latter being readily: opened and accessobtained to the remaining 4portion of the load.A j a ln Iactual practice, a flexible connection, not shown, may be employedv to attach the extension boards 20 tothe canso` as to prevent their beingaccidentally thrown away or: displaced. Furthermore, said extension boards maybe inscribed `withsuitable legends to indicate the railroad and the particular car.y to which the boards belong.

Referring next to the construction illustrated in Figs'. 4l and 5, theV generalarrangement of 4car under'frame, permanentfl'ooring and side door-o`pening is the same as illustratedfin Figs. 1 to 3.l VIn therarrangement showninnFigs. .4 and .5, however, I employ a considerably larger hopper, the bottom ofA which. is deined'by a'downwardly and out- Vwa-rdlyr sloping hopper: sheet 40, lthe outer l'lO side thereof bythe channel side'sill 110 and Y the ends in part'by the gpressed needle beams 112 and depending triangular hopper sheets lll-lil secured to the bottoms of the needle beams. A larger: door. 126`is also'used, the

same having a grain seal with the portions of the Ahopper defining the'fd'ischarge opening as indicated at 128. Said door. 126-may be held in closed positionby a'slidingpbolt -arrangementv as indicatedat 129. c i l 'As inthe vcase of the `construction illustratedlin Figs. 1 to 3 so in the construction illustrated in Figsfltv and 5, l provide a pivotedffloorid'oor 116 arranged in the saine manner Vas the ydoor lbut'extending to the center sill. 1 It will be obvious that the door 116 vis adaptedk t'o form;- either aj portion of the flooring'lof the car or a 'partial Vclosure for the side door opening. Instead,however, of employing door extension boards in the form of the detached boards 20, I employ one or more door extension boards 1520-120 preferably united by suitable straps 42, the same forming in ett'ect a relatively narrow door. Said door extension boards 120 are pivotally attached to the iioor door 116 as indicated at 43, the pivotal connection being effected by means of slidable hinge straps 44 mounted within brackets 45 secured to the under side of the floor door 116. Said hinge straps 44 are provided at their ends with enlarged heads 46 to prevent the same being pulled out from the brackets 45.

The door eXt-ension boards 120 are also made of a length slightly less than the distance between the ends of the hopper but of somewhat. greater length than the distance between the door posts. It is obvious that said boards 120 are adapted to lie within the hopper when the floor door 116 is in its horizontal position as shown in Fig. 4. The sliding hing-e connection between said boards and the door 116 is provided in order to permit the boards 120 being shifted relatively to the door 116 suiiiciently to permit the latter to be properly supported, as indicated at 47, on the center sill construction. When the floor door 116 is moved to its vertical position across the door opening, it is evident that the effective height thereof can be increased by swinging the extension boards 120 vertically and resting the same on the top edge of the door 116. The door 116 and the extension boards 120 are adapted to be releasably retained in vertical position by any suitable means su-ch as the latches 119-119- The convertible car illustrated in Figs. 4 and5 obviously possesses the same advantages as the type of car illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 but possesses an advantage over the latter in one respect in that, on account of the larger hopper employed, it is better adapted for the carrying of bulk loads such as coal and coke which do not flow as readily as grain.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the prei-erred manner of carrying out my invention but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a convertible box car, the combination with the car body having a side door opening, fixed flooring and an underframe; of a floor door located opposite said side door opening and pivotally mounted along its outer edge and adapted to assiune either a horizontal position as part of the car floor or a vertical position partially covering the door opening; a discharge hopper located opposite said side door opening and adapted to be GQVered by said iioor door when the latter is in horizontal position; and additionaldoor extension means, positioned within said hopper when said floor door is used as a part of the car looring, said means being adapted for positioning across said door opening on top of the floor door when the latter is in its vertical position across said door opening.

2. In a convertible box car, the combination with the car body having a side door opening, lined flooring and an undertrame; of a floor door located opposite said side door opening and pivotally mounted along its outer edge and adapted to assume either a horizontal position as part of the car iioor or a vertical position to partially cover the door opening; a discharge hopper located opposite said side door opening and adapted to be covered by said floor door when the latter is in iorizontal position; and a door extension board, adapted for positioning across said door opening on top of the floor door when the latter is in its vertical position across said side door opening, `said door extension board being' of lesser length than said hopper and adapted to be positioned lengthwise therein when said floor door is in horizontal position forming part of the floor.

3. In a convertible boX car, the combination with the car body having a side door opening, fixed flooring and an underframe; of a iioor door located opposite said side door opening and pivotally mounted along its outer edge and adapted to assume either a horizontal position as part of the car iioor or a vertical position to partially cover the door opening; a discharge hopper located opposite said side door opening and adapted to be covered by said floor door when the latter is in horizontal position; additional door extension means, positioned within said hopper when said loor door is used as a part of the car flooring, said means being adapted `for positioning across said door opening on top of the floor door when the latter is in its vertical position across said door opening; releasable means for detachably holding` said floor door in vertical position across the side door opening; and means "for holding said door extension means in said vertical position.

4. In a convertible box car, the combination with the car body having a side door opening and iiXed flooring. the latter having an opening therein opposite said side door opening; of a car underiirame including a pair of needle beams spaced lengthwise of the car and each located approximately opposite a door post a discharge hopper extending lengthwise of the car between said needle beams, said hopper having a hopper door at the bottom thereof and means for holding said hopper door in closed position; a floor door pivotally mornted at its outer edge adjacent the threshold of said side door opening` and adapted5 in horizontal position, to occupy said opening in the flooring of the car and to cover the top of the hopper, said door being adapted to be positioned in a Vertical position across said side door opening; and a door extension board, adapted to be positioned across said side door opening on top of said floor vdoor when the latter is in said .Vertical position, said door extension board being adapted to be positioned length- VWise Withinsaid hopper beneath the floor door when the latter is in said horizontal position. i A c' In Witness that I claim the foregoing I 15 have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day 0f Nov. 1920.4 fr

' l ARGYLE CAMPBELL.

- `Witnessesz METAk SCHMIDT, UNA C.' PEKIN. 

